Pet Peeves

Local yoga instructors share some common student faux pas.

1 Loud Latecomers:
Some teachers welcome students who arrive late while others shut the door, but one thing’s for sure: If you arrive after class has started, come into theroom as quietly as possible so you don’t disrupt your fellow practitioners.

2 Cell Phones:
Synergy Power Yoga owner Alyssa Sullivan finds it disconcerting when students enter her studio while talking on the phone, though she says, “I’m not aggravated by an occasional cell phone ringing, which happens to the best of us.”

3 Leaving Class Early:
Skipping out before or during savasana (the relaxation pose at the end of class) isn’t a good idea. “When students rush out of class without this period of integration, it’s like cooking a big meal and not sitting down to eat it,” says Amanda Rubio, another teacher at Synergy.

4 Heavy Scents:
Avoid wearing strongly scented lotions and perfumes to class, suggests Innerlight Center for Yoga owner Kim Chandler. (Of course, deodorant is always appreciated).

5 Negativity:
It’s best to keep critical comments about a yoga style or new teacher to yourself. “It’s not easy to teach yoga,” says Sullivan. “It is a long process that requires a great deal from an individual.”

—Jenna Pelletier